Both dinophiles and lovers of big machines will dig this natural storytime companion to Frann Preston-Gannon’s Dinosaur Farm...
Dinos plow, fertilize, harvest, herd, pick, pull, pack, and build on the farm.
The prehistoric crew from Dinosaur Pirates! (2017) and its predecessors fire up the farm machinery and roar off to tend fields and livestock, put up fence posts, lay down fertilizer, and, when the time comes, gather in a bountiful harvest of lambs and piggies, fruits and veggies to display at a “farm show.” To jagged lines of alliterative text that are big on sound effects—“Dirty dinosaurs digging, digging up the muddy carrots. The muddy carrots to be washed and weighed. Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!”—Dale pairs rural scenes crowded with modern farm animals seemingly unfazed by the more or less human-sized dinos who, many sporting impressive dentifrices as well as a dazzling array of skin colors and patterns, are hard at work all around. It’s a little odd to see relatively tiny, toothy theropods operating relatively large farm equipment, but once readers become used to it, it’s hard not to get a chuckle out of two reptilian farmers trading waves as they till their neighboring fields. Two little pigs sneak out of the pen in the first full scene, and readers will enjoy spying them in unlikely places in the subsequent ones. Labeled galleries fore and aft identify both the 10 dinosaurs and the nine types of harvesters and other heavy machines that feature in the illustrations.
Both dinophiles and lovers of big machines will dig this natural storytime companion to Frann Preston-Gannon’s Dinosaur Farm (2014). (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9936-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Whether spoken by a dinosaur or a human, this parental message clearly radiates “I’ve loved you from the start.”
The cover’s glowing golden stars are but a small hint of the parent-child love inside.
In this companion book to the creators’ I Love You, My Little Unicorn (2022), a world full of digitally created dinosaurs illustrated in eye-catching colors dominates the pages. From the start, it’s clear that dinosaur parents have the same hopes and dreams for their offspring that human parents do. Readers don’t have to be dinosaur fans to smile when the parent-and-child dinosaur pairs playfully interact and share loving glances. Take special note of the ankylosauruses, whose tails arc to form a heart beneath a sky filled with heart-shaped clouds. The text in verse shares words of unconditional parental love and support and wisdom (“please remember all these things / that I want you to know”), appropriate for humans and dinos alike. “Roar with all your might!” “Spread your wings and fly.” “Use your voice, and ask for help.” There’s even a caveat that some “days will be dark / and other shades of gray.” But “there’s always brightness up ahead.” While the loving sentiments in the storytelling are clear, words are sometimes inverted to make the rhyme work, and the verse doesn’t always follow a consistent meter, but prereading will let the story shine during quiet snuggle times.
Whether spoken by a dinosaur or a human, this parental message clearly radiates “I’ve loved you from the start.” (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781728268361
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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